1. Field of Invention
This invention is in the general field of casino gaming and, more particularly, is a roulette game where a player may place any of an increased number of bets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Roulette is a favorite gambling game of approximately nine million American women and four million American men. Typically, three of every five people seated at a roulette table are women.
The roulette table has embedded therein a bowl which is approximately thirty two inches in diameter. Around the rim of the bowl is a track that is approximately one inch wide and is slightly canted towards the interior of the bowl. At an outer edge of the track there is a wall that is approximately one inch high.
A roulette wheel head is rotatably mounted within the bowl. The wheel head and the track are concentric. A top outer edge of the wheel head is proximal to an inner edge of the track. The wheel head is slowly axially rotated by a motor.
The wheel head has thirty eight evenly spaced pockets along its outer edge. Thirty six of the pockets are marked with numbers one through thirty six, respectively. Each of the thirty six pockets are colored either red or black with the number of pockets colored red (eighteen) equalling the number of pockets colored black. Additionally, two uncolored pockets are marked 0 and 00, respectively. 0 and 00 are referred to as signs.
A croupier releases a small ball in a manner that propels it along the track in a direction opposite from the direction of rotation of the wheel head. Because of the wall, the ball is prevented from moving beyond the outer edge of the track. Because the track is canted, the ball rolls into one of the pockets when its motion is slowed by naturally occurring forces of friction along the track.
A player may bet that the ball will roll into a selected one of the pockets. Alternatively, the player may bet that the ball will roll into one pocket of a selected group of pockets. An interesting feature of roulette is that the casino""s advantage is 5.26% for any bet. In other words, for every one hundred dollars that is bet, the casino will, statistically, net five dollars and twenty six cents.
To provide for the betting, the table carries an imprint of what is known as a roulette ladder. The ladder has twelve steps with three boxes on each step. Therefore, the ladder has a total of thirty six boxes.
The boxes are numbered from left to right and top to bottom of the ladder. Upon a top step of the ladder, for example, are boxes numbered one, two and three. On a next lower step of the ladder are boxes numbered four, five and six.
Boxes one, two and three are numbered upon elliptical fields that are colored red, black and red, respectively,xe2x80x94the same colors of pockets numbered one, two and three. Boxes four, five and six are numbered upon elliptical fields that are colored black, red and black, respectively,xe2x80x94the same colors of pockets numbered four, five and six.
In a similar manner, boxes on all other steps are numbered upon fields that are colored. When a box is numbered upon an elliptical field that is red, it is referred to as a red box. Correspondingly, when a box is numbered upon an elliptical field that is black it is referred to as a black box. In further amplification of the explanation given hereinbefore, the colors of boxes and pockets are in accordance with the following table.
When, for example, the player wants to make a single pocket bet that the ball will roll into the pocket marked with the number, one, the player places a cheque upon the box marked with the number, one. Above the top step is an imprint of a box with a marking of the sign, 0, and an imprint of a box with a marking of the sign, 00. The player makes a single pocket bet that the ball will roll into the pocket marked with either the sign, 0, or the sign, 00, in a manner similar to the making of the single pocket bet described hereinbefore. The casino makes a thirty five to one payout when the player wins the single pocket bet.
The player may choose to make a colored pocket bet that the ball will roll into a red pocket or the colored pocket bet that the ball will roll into a black pocket. The casino makes a one to one payout when the player wins the colored pocket bet.
The player may choose to make an odd-even bet that the ball will roll into an odd numbered pocket or make the odd-even bet that the ball will roll into an even numbered pocket. The casino makes a one to one payout when the player wins the odd-even bet.
The player may make an eighteen pocket bet that the ball will roll into a pocket numbered one through eighteen or make the eighteen pocket bet that the ball will roll into a pocket numbered nineteen through thirty six. The casino makes a one to one payout when the player wins the eighteen pocket bet.
The player may make any of four twelve pocket bets. A first twelve pocket bet is that that the ball will roll into any one of the pockets numbered one through twelve. A second twelve pocket bet is that the ball will roll into any one of the pockets numbered thirteen through twenty four. A third twelve pocket bet is that the ball willroll into any one of the pockets numbered twenty five through thirty six. A fourth twelve pocket is bet that the ball will roll into a pocket having a number that appears in a selected one of three columns of twelve boxes of the roulette ladder. The casino makes a two to one payout when the player wins the twelve pocket bet.
Interest in a game is often predicated upon the number of different types of bets that can be made by the player. Heretofore, there has not been an increase in the types of bets in roulette where the 5.26% casino advantage is maintained.
An object of the present invention is to define heretofore unknown roulette bets where the 5.26% casino advantage is maintained.
According to the present invention, a roulette table has an imprint of a roulette ladder where black fields of four numbers are connected together by an imprint of four lines to form an equilateral parallelogram with one of the fields at each of its corners. A black diamond bet that a roulette ball will roll into a pocket that has a number that is the same as one of the four numbers is made by placing a cheque upon a proscribed symbol imprinted on the roulette table.
In further accord with the invention, a twelve black bet that the ball will roll into a pocket that has a number that is the same as a number of a black colored box in a specified group of twelve boxes on the roulette ladder is made by placing a cheque upon a proscribed betting icon imprinted on the roulette table. A twelve red bet that the ball will roll into a pocket that has a number that is the same as a number of a red colored box in the specified group of twelve boxes is made by placing a cheque upon a proscribed betting icon imprinted on the roulette table.
In further accord with the invention, a twelve odd bet that the ball will roll into a pocket that has a number that is the same as an odd number of a box in a specified group of twelve boxes on the roulette ladder is made by placing a cheque upon a proscribed betting icon imprinted on the roulette table. A twelve even bet that the ball will roll into a pocket that has a number that is the same as an even number of a box in the specified group of twelve boxes is made by placing a cheque upon a proscribed betting icon imprinted on the roulette table.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention should be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.